§ 30:801 — Definitions

(1) "Geothermal resources" means:
(a) All products of geothermal processes, including both "hydropressured" reservoirs (normal or below normal pressure) and "geopressured" reservoirs (above normal), embracing indigenous steam, hot water, hot brines and hydropressured or geopressured waters or both excepting, however, waters produced incidental to oil or gas exploration or production, and potable water produced from residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, or other wells where the heat pressure, or dissolved natural gas, or any combination thereof, are not extracted or used for energy purposes.
(b) Steam and other gasses, hot water, and hot brines resulting from water, gas or other fluids artificially introduced into geothermal, hydropressured or geopressured water formations, or any combination thereof.
(c) Heat, natural gas dissolved in formation water or which was dissolved in formation water and is produced at the geothermal, hydropressured or geopressured well bore, or any combination thereof, or other associated energy found in geothermal, hydropressured or geopressured water formations, or any combination thereof.
(d) Any by-product derived therefrom.
(2) "By-product" means any mineral or minerals, excluding oil and natural gas, which are found in solution or in association with a geothermal resource and which (a) have a value less than seventy-five percent of the value of the total geothermal resource, if utilized or not, because of quantity, quality, or technical difficulties in extraction and production or (b) are not of sufficient value to warrant extraction and production by themselves or (c) the production of which will waste the geothermal resource.
(3) "Geothermal lease" is a contract by which the lessee is granted the right for exploration, drilling, development, production and distribution of geothermal resources and byproducts.
(4) "Geothermal operation" includes the exploration for, drilling for, development of, production of and distribution of geothermal resources as defined in this Chapter.

Legislative History

Added by Acts 1975, No. 784, §1. Amended by Acts 1976, No. 134, §1; Acts 1980, No. 742, §1.